topic Advice Needed in Arlo Home Security System

Advice Needed

SharR — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 01:13:56 GMT

I have an outdated Netgear Arlo hub, 4 Essential 2 series cameras that are ok, but won't always connect, one Arlo doorbell works great and an ArloGo2 Verizon cellular camera.

I need to buy (I think) Arlo Smart Hub VBM5000, and maybe a spotlight camera for end of house and 2 other cameras. I researched and read Pro3 the best quality and zoom. But then Ultra has a lot going for it too with wide 180 view and the Pro 5, idk, but maybe good too.

How can I come up with the best setup with these..oh and maybe the solar panel would help. I have 2 essentials outside, 2 inside, Arlo go2 inside, but need more outdoor coverage. I like to buy at best as I have geek squad support on all products but might have to buy elsewhere. Right now if I order it's kinda a shot in the dark. Thanks for any tips on any of these questions, even if just one thought.

Re: Advice Needed

StephenB — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 02:02:46 GMT

@SharR wrote:

I need to buy (I think) Arlo Smart Hub VBM5000,

The four reasons to get a smarthub are

the direct access to local storage feature
it is required for homekit
it is required for the continuous video recording feature
Some cameras can only connect to a smarthub

You'll definitely need one if you get Pro 3 or Ultra cameras. Pro 4 and Pro 5s can connect directly to your home wifi, so they don't require it.

The wifi reach of a smarthub is similar to a single router. If you have a mesh router now, then your home wifi will have better coverage than the smarthub.

Have you tried measuring your wifi speed at the Gen 2 camera locations with your phone? Use the ookla speedtest app - disabling mobile data during the test, so you are sure you are testing the wifi speed. Upload is more important than download.